The Most Independent States
With Independence Day right around the corner and high inflation threatening Americans’ financial independence, WalletHub has released its report on 2025’s Most Independent States. To determine the most self-sufficient states, WalletHub compared the 50 states across 39 metrics, which measure how dependent Americans are on the government and other people for finances, their jobs and personal vices.
2025’s Most Independent States
- Utah
- Colorado
- Virginia
- Idaho
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Washington
- California
- Wisconsin
- Montana
Key Stats:
- Montana has the lowest share of private industry workers employed by foreign-owned firms. That’s 4.2 times lower than in Delaware, the state with the highest share.
- Michigan and Pennsylvania have the lowest share of government workers (local, state and federal), which is 2.2 times lower than in Alaska, the state with the highest share.
- New Hampshire has the lowest share of residents in poverty. That’s 2.7 times lower than in Mississippi, the state with the highest share.